It is desirable that a light sensitive photographic material be insensitive to handling. A photographic material should not produce density marks as a result of static discharge or pressure events encountered, for example, during the manufacture or use of the material. Additionally, the photographic material should be resistant to physical scratches and gouging during handling. In the case of photographic materials intended for viewing or printing, such marks are visually objectionable, while in the case of photographic materials intended for medical imaging, such marks can produce dangerous misdiagnoses.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,572 relates to alleviating pressure induced fog in photographic materials comprising silver halide emulsions by adding a low Tg polymer latex to a light insensitive layer. Other approaches to pressure-fog control and other uses of polymeric latexes are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,464,462; 4,551,412; and 4,822,727 as well as in Japanese Kokai J01/267,638 and J01/291,251.
Static discharge marks in photographic materials may be alleviated by inclusion of a UV light absorbing species at an appropriate location in the material. Typical monomeric UV absorbers include, but are not limited to, 2-hydroxyphenyl benzotriazoles, 2-hydroxy phenyl salicilates, 2-hydroxybenzophenones, benzilidene malonates, substituted acrylonitriles, and derivatives thereof.
In addition to the above problems, the silver halide of typical photographic elements has a native sensitivity to UV which is usually undesirable. Such UV sensitivity may result in a visible image on the photographic element which image is otherwise invisible to the human eye on directly viewing the photographed scene. In addition, in the case of color photographic elements, in particular, color dye images formed on the light sensitive emulsion layers by color development easily undergo fading or discoloration due to the action of UV. Also, color formers, or so-called couplers, remaining in the emulsion layers are subject to the action of UV to form undesirable color stains on the finished photographs. The fading and the discoloration of the color images are easily caused by UV of wavelengths near the visible region, namely, those of wavelengths from 300 to 400 nm. For the foregoing reasons, photographic elements typically incorporate a UV absorbing material as a UV stabilizer in an uppermost layer (that is, the layer that will first receive radiation when the element is in normal use). The wavelength range to be filtered is typically about 300 to 400 nm for non-silver iodide print films not protected by glass and 320 to 400 nm for non-silver iodide print films protected by glass. The wavelength range may be extended to higher wavelengths in films comprising silver iodide, as for example in many color negative and color reversal camera films, so as to provide protection for the native blue sensitivity of such emulsions.
The monomeric UV absorbers previously mentioned for alleviating static discharge marks are also known to function as UV stabilizers.
The preparation and use of UV absorbers has been described at U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,813,255 and 4,611,061; and at European Published Applications 0,057,160 and 0,190,003. Polymeric UV absorbers are also known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,462 describes polymeric UV light absorbing latexes which are said to provide static discharge protection without aggravating pressure-fog. This reference does not describe scratching or gouging properties of photographic materials including such species.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,664 describes the use of polymeric photographically useful latexes. This reference also describes the optional loading of these latexes with other photographically useful materials. At column 12 lines 34 and following, this reference teaches that the loaded material may have a function similar to that of the polymer latex, and that the functions will then be additive.
It would be desirable then to provide a photographic element containing a composition which provides the element with resistance to handling defects while at the same time providing good UV absorbtion.